Dark & Light

1. McAlpine Booth & Ferrier, 2. Atlanta Home & Lifestyles Showhouse, 3. Atlanta Homes Showhouse , 4. ??? Help!

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i stepped out today for the first time since Sat. i kind of felt like the girl up top....big smile on my face, wind blowing in my hair, sun gleaming down...see when you've been cooped up for 14 days w/ everyone in your family having the flu, the first day out feels like heaven.  so what did i do.... after my meeting, i headed straight to target!  and went right to the beauty aisle with my phone in hand, on pinterest, searching for natalie's recommendations for "cheap buy's" (i don't know why i think that is so fun...but i do love a bargain :)  i guess everyone else does too b/c half the stuff was bought out!!  it didn't matter though b/c it was great just getting out again...cheers to being almost well!!!!

*images courtesy of lucy laucht, leta austin foster, tim babber,  my cup of te

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DC Row House Main Living Room Before & After

If you are on Instagram or follow along with my instant pics on the sidebar of the blog, you may have noticed that yesterday was an especially rewarding day:  We finished another project installation.  This project was different from most of our projects in that it was implemented over time.  We created a full design plan for our clients a year or so ago (I think??) and as the project entailed a lot of time & expense, our clients decided to implement the project in phases.  What I love about this approach was that my clients didn't sacrifice anything.  They got everything they wanted exactly as they wanted it because they were really patient & willing to wait.  They began with the paint, the built-ins, and then moved onto lighting, curtains and rugs.  The final installation (of furnishings!!) happened yesterday and I'm so excited to share it with you.  Here's what the living and dining space looked like before:

My clients decided they didn't need the additional dining area (we've got a breakfast nook in the kitchen) and so we turned it into an additional seating area with a 4- chair arrangement for playing games, reading and chatting.  Here's what the room looks like now:

Yesterday, I styled the bookshelves with all of our clients' own things and got the room feeling nice and lived in...

The childrens' books are mixed in with their parents' books and their is tons of storage for games & crafts hidden throughout the built-ins.  

I connected the spaces with two overscale lanterns which you might recognize from my previous post.  (The Morris Lantern from Visual Comfort ;) ;)

Because there's a small nook for the sofa in the TV-watching end of the room and not much room in it for end tables, we went with pivoting wall sconces on either side of the sofa.  I was excited about showing off their pretty silhouettes against the hand-block-printed Le Gracieux curtains:

{I snapped this pic as we were hanging art}

My clients wanted a really warm, cozy and energetic-feeling home.  They are some of the nicest people I've ever met and I really feel like their home matching them in warmth.  My client herself looks especially beautiful in the house becomes it complements her hair and skin tones so well.

Here's a close-up that shows the coffee table, which I love:

{The pillow is in my "Filigree Chevron" in Autumn}

 Here's a "before" picture of the fireplace wall, which faces the TV:

...And here is is now:

{The oranges & yellows & pear greens were pulled straight from the rug}

My clients have the "go ahead" to collect more green pottery on their travels so we can fill up these shelves!! ;) ;)

We're putting a fiddle leaf fig in the right nook that will look like this:

This photo shows you how the TV fits:

The 4 chairs are all on swivels so if they want to, they can swivel around and become a part of the TV-watching area or enjoy the fire...

I'm off for the day and hope you enjoyed!! I also had to share this Instagram pic of me with Dave on the way home...  There's nothing more fulfilling than getting to work with this guy every day:

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Cute Idea From Client's Entry

 I loved where we were going with this entry at a clients house- bench, rug, pillows, paint.  However, it wasn't until she added these pictures that it felt complete.

Those faces would make any day brighter.

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A Man's Surprise Office: Before & After

I've had some of the most fun putting projects together that are gifts or surprises...  A super-sweet client of mine decided to surprise her husband with a new office for his birthday.  He works from home, but since they've moved in, the office hasn't really gotten much attention.  I was thrilled when my client called me to discuss the project after helping her & her husband with their family room. 

  

The existing white office had everything the husband/my client needs to get work done, but it didn't feel like he'd really moved in yet.  My client knew that her husband would love a formal "masculine" study feeling- one that was traditional, warm, and classic... so we got to work.  Here's the view of the office when we started from the French Doors:

We knew the biggest change would be painting.  The masculine room we were envisioning was dark and moody.  (He works on computer screens and so the darker walls help with that too since the room is really sunny.)

The biggest challenge in designing this space for us was creating an office our client's husband would love, yet one that didn't feel over-the-top, too boring or kitschy...  I've noticed that there's something about men & these "man rooms."....  you know, dark paneled libraries with the big presidential desk...  They love them!!  When they see them in someone else's home or in photos, they want them!!  So even though as soon as our client said "masculine study" we knew exactly the sort of room he wanted, I wanted to make sure that we made his office extremely personal and include a couple of unexpected elements so that we weren't just recreating a movie set.  

We put together a design for my client & she approved everything without showing or mentioning any of it to her husband.  We set the project in motion and on his birthday, she surprised him with a rendering -done by Michelle Morelan- of his office in progress:  

{The rendering done by Michelle Morelan, who is always wonderful to work with...  the colors are a bit more saturated in this image than in the actual painting but this gives you the idea.}  

I was able to take a few quick pics of the finished space on installation day with my phone, but will definitely have to go back with my photographer, because with the dark walls, it was almost impossible for me to get a good pic.  (But I thought you'd enjoy a peek anyway ;)

So, again, here's the 'before'---

And here's the 'after'--

{We used three different paint colors which I'll share in just a bit}

My client went to Yale so his wife & I thought it would be special to hang a massive vintage photograph of Yale (blown up to almost 7 feet high) on the main wall.  I love it because not only is it sentimental, but it feels almost like a window in the now-dark space.

{The photo is on a linen paper and is backed with a reusable adhesive.}

I think my client said her husband's dorm is actually in this photograph!! How crazy is that?!!

We're still waiting on the custom leather chair to be finished so in the pics you can see my clients' old black leather chair.  Here's what the new one looks like, except ours will be in a warm brown leather:

The main desk was one of the first pieces of furniture we selected.  We knew our client's husband would love its masculine, traditional lines.  We call it the "Presidential" desk.  ;) ;)  We pared it with a more modern leather parsons desk with a glass top.  Using such a traditional centerpiece allowed us a little more freedom to be able to mix things up a bit while the feeling of the room remained traditional.

Since it was so tough for me to get a good photo, here's a pic with the lights off too:

The "Morris Lantern" from Visual Comfort- hanging in the center of the room- is one of my favorites and, although I rarely repeat pieces in clients' projects, this one's an exception.

I used some more modern pieces in the traditional space to add a little bit of juxtapostion:  The modern task lamp on the desk, the small folding table next to the chair...

One of my favorite pieces was the antique Civil War painting we found:

Photos just don't do it justice but the patina & colors in it are incredible... 

It's purposefully too small between the windows, which is another tiny element that defies the tradition of the room:

The plaid curtains warm up the dark navy room and we used lots of caramel browns that are a bit on the orange side to liven up the palette a bit.  

On the right wall - and not pictured- we are working in a group of framed meaningful art...  family photos, paintings and pictures.

Here's a photo of the built-ins (before the books) and it really shows how we used different paint colors to get the feeling we were after:

{The chair's getting swapped out with a tufted brown leather one.}

Here's the paint breakdown (all Benjamin Moore)...

The walls are "Gentleman's Gray" which is a very dark traditional navy. 

The woodwork is all in a semi-gloss so dark navy that it's almost black- "Polo Blue," and

The ceiling is in a navy with the tiniest hint of peacock blue... "Blue Danube" (The bit of green/peacock added to the ceiling paint makes the room feel a tad less serious and also sets off the blue-green in the rug.) 

This pic really exaggerates the subtle color differences so you can get an idea:

 I'm off for the day but will be sure to share better photos of the fully finished space when I have them.  (Looking at my photos is just sad haha)  Thank you so much to my wonderful clients who really trusted me with this one!! Going this dark takes guts and I think it really paid off!!!



ps- I'm always going to treasure all of the comments you all left in the last post... Thank you so much. Huge hug to everyone!!

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Girls Weekend

 Sandwiched in-between two c-c-crazy weeks, I went on a girls trip this weekend to Raleigh.  It was much needed.  Relaxing, laughing until I cry, simple moments with old friends is good for my insides.  

Now it is catch up along with a busy week with some projects I can't wait to share with you.  If only my laundry room looked like this on the home front.  Henry's looming laundry basket might not be so daunting.

Photos Via Here and ??? I found it on Pinterest but I can't find the original source, anyone know?

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Quiet Time

Might be a repeat but I need the reminder!

Via

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the winter blues has totally taken over our household...everyone in our family has gotten the flu over the last 10 days....i thought i was safe until i went to bed last night and then i knew that i had succumb to it as well.  but instead of moping about how miserable it has been, here are a few things that have shed some light our direction:

netflix has two good documentaries that you must watch:  first position &  the queen of versailles

i may or may not have eaten half of this cake by myself (what would you do in a house full of sick people??)

and i just found this song this AM and i can't stop playing it....

alright i'm off to go grab my blanket and a box of tissues....see you on the flip side.

*images courtesy of britishly prep, ms. howard, bungalow classic, kitchen building, the decorista, mary mcgee interiors

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Blogging & Some Honesty

In the post about my cousin's house, like I mentioned, I shared more of the design process with you & said more than I would normally say about a client.  I also showed a scarily MASSIVE home which many of you seemed (how shall I say this?? ;) ... disgusted by.   hahaha  (It may have been my initial reaction too ;) ;

There's something a little bit different when you are working on a project for a family member rather than a normal client...  I've both more and less protective if that makes any sense.  I'll be honest that 1 or 2 comments stung a little when I felt like remarks about the house reflected poorly on my cousin.  (references to an "excess of wealth" without knowing anything about his character...)

{the garage}

My cousin's worked really hard for what he's got (he started his business when he was 12 years old) and is one of the most incredibly generous people I know.  His house may not be what most of us would want, but I don't think it's fair to look down on him for it either.  He may not be married with kids yet, but he wants a full house and his doors are always open to family & friends & their kids.  He sees this house as the place where everyone can come to stay and wants lots of extra bedrooms for guests and hopefully his own kids one day.

{My cousin with his best friend's daugher}

  While I'm okay with poking fun ( i.e. "Fauxscan" ;) ;)  I never want what I say to feel mean-spirited or judgemental and I hope I didn't come across that way in my last post.  (Or hurt anyone with Fauxscan's feelings! ;) ;)

I've been thinking a lot about something I said to my 5 year old last week about diplomacy...  He was saying something to our 3-year old and it wasn't so much what he was saying that was so hurtful, but just how he was saying it.  Trying to simplify things for him during my scolding I said, "You can say pretty much anything you want to say, but you just have to say it nicely."

And I've been thinking about it since...  I think it's true.  I think most people can take honesty, corrections, and things that sting if said from a place of kindness.  But if something comes out and sounds judge mental or mean, then the person's really not even going to hear what's being said, they're just going to be angry or hurt.  It's almost a waste of breath.

Whenever I've said anything too harshly, I almost always regret it.  I think of myself as fairly diplomatic but things just come out sometimes ;) ;)  (hahaha ok, maybe lots of times... But I'm trying to work on it ;) ;)

Here's what I've been trying to work on lately:

1) Say anything you want & be totally honest, just say it nicely. (It's not what you say, it's how you say it... all that ;)

2) Take a deep breath and let it go.  You'll never regret under-reacting but you'll almost always regret overreacting.

3) Be careful what you put into writing because once you do, it's out there for anyone to see.


As you might know, a few years ago I decided not to allow "anonymous" comments to my blog.  Most of the anonymous comments I received were totally normal/nice but every now and then I'd get one or two that just hurt my feelings.  I'm laughing as I write this because some of the stuff that hurt my feeling was so silly (a bookshelf!!)  & I can't believe it did but, I could get 30 sweet comments (enough to make my month!!) but the one negative comment would just bring me down and seemed to eclipse all of the others.  They made feel stupid and they made me wish I'd never put whatever I'd written about or shown a photo of out there.  They made me question even writing a public blog.   By the end of the day, the bad feeling in my stomach would go away but it took a couple of hours for me to let it go and I realized it wasn't worth it.  Why have those feelings a couple of times a month??

(see how jam-packed my bookshelf was??  it's not for everyone...  especially my dad who has commented on how terrible it is more than anyone else I know ;) ;)

I found that taking the anonymous option off, still allows anyone to comment but that with a name on there, most people tend to just say things more carefully, more diplomatically and I'm actually able to take in the advice or criticism instead of being hurt by it.  To be honest, nowadays I'm able to shrug off any hurtful comments pretty easily...  Maybe it's because I'm older & tougher/ not as sensitive now and have been doing it for so long or maybe it's because there's a name on there?? I don't know...

But my blog is a personal one- I'm sharing bits of my life, my passions and my loved ones and I am inviting  people into my home or their homes in a way.  I can really take anything as long as it's said respectfully.  I have to protect those whose homes I share on here.  (The alternative is sharing nothing.)  I understand that I am putting everything out there to be judged, and that having a blog or being in any sort of public eye puts you out there to be critiqued harshly... and so I'm  just asking for things to be said respectfully.  I know I have no right to that, because this is a public web address & all that, but I am asking for it.  

I'm so proud of everyone who's a part of my blog too...  my mother-in-law remarks all the time on how nice everyone is in the comments...  I write for you because I feel like you're my friends and that you want good things for me and are respectful of those whose homes I share on here.  (Because BTW- they always read a post when it's about them!!!) I wouldn't be comfortable writing one of those blogs that's more like a forum where the comments sometimes get heated & dramatic and where the blog is about bashing.  I write this blog because it's my special place & I invite anyone along who wants to be a part of that.

Most of you had me cracking up as I read the comments on my cousin's house, by the way, because I think you really get where I'm coming from on & it had fun with it.  I'm totally okay and love that.

To give you an update on the plans- they're pretty much set and are being approved by the county now.  The only exterior changes I was able to get were reducing the number of columns and turning the arches into more of an 'eyebrow shape,' squaring the columns off and widening some of the windows.  I do wish I could have been brought in sooner, but let's be honest, I work on IN-teriors so I really just have to put my focus into those.  I was able to get many of the architectural details changed inside, which is where my role lies so I'm thankful for that. ;) ;)

And hahaha YES!! you all win on the overhangs!!!  I think everyone from Florida mentioned them (sadly it's never been in my hands anyway... tear) but I am feeling better after so many of you have said that your homes are still sunny with the overhangs.  (Adam's current house feels like a dark cave so I am hoping this next one won't...  The ceilings are much taller and the sun will come in from that direction so I'm really hoepful.) Just keep telling me that so I can sleep better !! ;) ;)

I'll update you on all of that next week!!!  Sorry for the heavy post on a Friday but this stuff's been on my mind!!  Have an amazing weekend and thank you so much for reading!! :)

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